The present invention relates to devices, systems, and methods related to applying fluid treatments to a head of hair. More specifically, the present invention relates to a brush and tray for hair coloring treatments for humans.
For many people, the cut, style, color, and texture of their hair speaks of their personality, symbolizes beauty, enhances self-confidence, emboldens them, creates a first impression, and is otherwise of vital importance. Not surprisingly, a number of devices, systems, and methods exist to enhance or alter a person's head of hair. One particularly popular method of coloring, styling, texturing, and shaping hair includes a technique called “weaving”.
Weaving is the art of adding human hair or synthetic hair to the scalp by weaving or braiding the additional hair to the root area of the existing hair of. It is also called Hair integration or Hair Intensification. The hair is woven to the root area so that it grows naturally with the existing hair.
To accomplish integration of the additional hair to the existing hair, a stylist will use common tools including a rat-tail comb, a brush to apply colors and/or bonding agents, and foil or other chemical-impervious substrates to isolate a section of hair being treated. Often, additional coloring agents are applied during a weave.
Hair foil and hair holding systems for applying chemicals to hair are generally known in this art. Russell, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,783, issued on 20 Mar. 2007, describes a system, a method, and appliances for applying hair treatments. Therein, the common practice and tools are well documented: a paper or foil, typically a small rectangular sheet of chemical-impervious material, is laid on the underside of a part line. Selected strands of hair are arranged on the foil. Coloring chemicals are applied to the selected strands of hair using a brush, foam, or sponge. The foil is then folded on itself to cover and seal the treated strands of hair, and the foils protect the adjacent un-treated hair from the treatment chemicals. This process is repeated, perhaps several dozens of times, until the desired color affect is achieved. Russell improves upon this technique by providing a hair-holding appliance with an anchoring strip. While the Russell appliances and method improve the efficiency of coloring and weaving, there remains a need for additional improvements in this art that further speed-up this labor-intensive process, and provide for more flexibility and creativity with the use of color in the hair.
Other known apparatus and methods representative of the current state-of-the-art and general level of knowledge in this art include the disclosures of: Razzouq in U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,970 issued on 27 Sep. 1994 for a method for foiling hair; Bulriss in U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,215 issued on 23 Dec. 2003 for a device and method for selectively applying hair treatment; Russell in U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,076 issued on 8 Mar. 2005 for a foil for use in hair coloring and method of use; and Palmeri in U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,097 issued on 7 Feb. 2006 for a hair treatment and styling method related applications.
And, other known apparatus, that may have bearing on the present invention, but are not thought to be representative of the state-of-the-art in hair coloring include: the dental brush of Viragh in U.S. Pat. No. 2,190,277 issued on 13 Feb. 1940; the multi-utility shoe brush system of Park in U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,785 issued on 28 Jan. 1997; and Nilsson's method for corrugating a metal foil and packages of such foil in U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,130 issued on 24 Dec. 2002.
Despite advances in apparatus and methods, there remains yet a need for a system, device and method that enables a salon stylist or at-home self-stylist to prepare and apply colors and other chemical treatments to localized strands of hair in an efficient, economical and less-work intensive manner. There remains yet a need for a system that enables more creative styles and colors of hair. And, there remains a need for a system that requires less skill and practice as is generally required in the existing-art.